Magnitude 7.5 quake in northern Japan injures 23, triggers two-foot tsunami

This aerial photo shows a vehicle sitting on a damaged road in Tohoku town, Aomori prefecture, northern Japan on Dec 9, 2025, following the powerful earthquake late Monday. - Kyodo News via AP

TOKYO: A powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck off northern Japan late Monday, injuring 23 people and triggering a tsunami in Pacific coast communities, officials said. Authorities warned of possible aftershocks and an increased risk of a megaquake.

The Japanese government was still assessing damages from the tsunami and late-evening quake, which struck at about 11.15pm in the Pacific Ocean, around 80km off the coast of Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of Japan’s main Honshu island.